Collection: Ted Basciano

Ted Basciano

Since 1984, I have been working mainly in 4 mediums.  Throughout high school and university, I worked on small soapstone and serpentine sculptures  ( 1984 – 1992 ).  Printmaking became my dominate medium at McMaster University ( 1987 – 1992 ).  I produced prints up to 2004; some lithographs and etchings but mostly woodcuts.  From 1995 to the present, I have worked on mosaic wall sculptures.  In 2008, I started working on watercolour pencil drawings.  Sculpture has been the main focus of my art career.

I have worked in different cultural institutions across Hamilton; the Carnegie Gallery, DVSA, Hamilton Military Museum, Hamilton Museum of Steam and Technology and the Staircase Cafe Theatre ( running its gallery space ).  I have done much volunteer work for Creative Arts; nearly 20 years with the Festival of Friends ( 1979 – 1998 ) and I helped out at the Hamilton Artists Inc. doing Bingo fundraising and gallery duties.  My art has appeared not just in regular galleries but in several alternative spaces across the city which include, cafes, shops and businesses.  Over 60 of my works have been donated to fundraising events at the Hamilton Artists Inc., the Dundas Valley School Of Art, Centre 3 / Earls Court Gallery ( art lottery ) and The Hamilton Conservatory For The Arts ( Culture for Kids in the Arts – now known as Arts For All ).

Between 1998 and 2004 I educated people about the proposed Red Hill Expressway.  I handed out thousands of leaflets door to door.  I helped organize the Mass Rally at City Hall ( 1998 & 2001 ).  I made 18 hand painted T-shirts, 2 political cartoons and wrote dozens of letters to newspapers and politicians.  I organized 3 large exhibitions against the expressway which had between 40 and 60 participants, both professional artists and amateurs.  In 1998, I had a solo exhibition of mosaics at the Central Public Library called, “I Love Red Hill Valley”.  I created an installation at the Staircase Café / Theatre called “Letters For The Red Hill Valley” ( 2002 ) that displayed hundreds of letters that were sent to the Hamilton Spectator editor.  And in 2004 I practically lived in the Red Hill Valley for 4 months helping the Haudenosaunee take care of the sacred fire and longhouse site.   

I graduated with a teaching degree in 1994.  From 1995 to 2015, I travelled to South Korea 7 times to teach basic English to all age groups from Kindergarten classes to businesspeople, factory workers and housewives.  For a few months I taught art to the children of foreign parents while living in Busan.  I spent over 14 years of my life in Korea.  Ten years were spent teaching and 4 years were spent running 2 different guesthouses.  Two bodies of art were begun in Korea, 10 woodcuts (1999 - 2001) and 7 mosaics ( 2002 ).  Two complete bodies of work were made while I was there; 17 mosaics ( 2009 – 2012 ) and 40+ drawings ( 2013 – 2015 ).  In 2015, I painted my first outdoor mural on a wall in front of the Nreem Guesthouse in Suncheon.